


fix you with my love

by achapterends



Category: BBC Radio 1 RPF, One Direction (Band)
Genre: Domestic, Fluff, M/M, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-20
Updated: 2017-06-20
Packaged: 2018-11-16 12:07:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11252862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/achapterends/pseuds/achapterends
Summary: Nick never gets sick, but when he does, Louis is there for him.





	fix you with my love

**Author's Note:**

  * For [nightwideopen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/nightwideopen/gifts).



> here's some tomlinshaw nonsense because I'm sick and I wish my louis was here to look after me ♥
> 
> title from the cure by lady gaga.

Nick never gets sick. Even when he was a kid, he prided himself on being the last one standing when all his classmates got chicken pox, or in winter when his family got the flu and Nick was the one on nurse duty. He can count on one hand the number of times he’s been struck with illness, and he puts it down to both his impeccable immune system and the fact that his 9-5 job, demanding dogs, and insatiable boyfriend keep him busy enough that he barely has the time to be sick.

So, naturally, when he does fall ill, he likes to pretend he’s fine.

He sleeps through his alarm on the first day, and wakes up with a pounding headache. He grunts and groans and feels his entire body ache when he sits up to rub the sleep from his eyes. Louis is still fast asleep beside him, curled up in a little ball and breathing through his mouth in short, quiet pants. Nick will never not think that Louis is beautiful, and he thinks himself lucky that he has the pleasure of waking up next to him every morning. 

This morning, he’s envious that Louis doesn’t have to get out of bed for anything. He’s so jealous that he momentarily considers waking him up. If Nick should suffer, then Louis should too. 

He reaches an arm towards Louis’ bare shoulder and almost shakes him awake, then decides against it and hauls himself out of bed with minimal complaint. It’s still so early, and he hates himself for choosing a career that requires him to get to work by 6am, especially when he feels so terrible. His popstar boyfriend has it alright, really. Nick has always teased Louis about this, commenting that Louis has an easy life free from the hardships of early wake up calls and office drama. Louis, of course, counters that with a jab at how Nick’s only strong suit is his radio voice and that he couldn’t do anything other than play a few songs back to back if he tried. 

Nick tries to make as little noise as possible as he drags his feet through their flat and heads for the kitchen, but he almost trips over one of Pig’s toys on the way and that in itself is followed by a string of very loud and very colourful swear words. By the time he makes it to the kitchen and flicks the kettle on, he hears shuffling behind him and a sleep soft Louis appears in the doorway. 

“Could you be any louder, Grimshaw,  _ Jesus _ .” Louis complains, but he makes a beeline for Nick anyway and buries his head in Nick’s shirt. Nick kisses the top of Louis’ head and grumbles something into his hair. 

“I’m poorly.” Nick admits, sniffling and feeling his whole chest rattle when he inhales. 

The kettle comes to a boil right when Louis takes a step back and raises a questioning eyebrow at Nick.

“Did you just say the P word?”

“The what?”

“You never get sick.” Louis says, matter of fact. He’s frowning, obviously concerned as to why Nick’s health has suddenly deteriorated. 

“I know!” Nick exasperates, hands flying everywhere. He turns towards the counter and grabs two mugs from the cupboard, then goes about making tea for both himself and Louis. “I feel proper shit today, though.”

“Aw, poor baby.” Louis sing songs, but even though he’s messing around Nick can hear the genuine concern behind it. He comes up behind Nick and wraps his arms around his waist, hugging him like his life depends on it. After a beat, and after watching incredulously to make sure Nick didn’t put too much milk in his tea, Louis pipes up again. “You should call in.”

Nick whines. “I  _ can’t _ .” 

“Yes, you can. You haven’t missed a day of work since I met you.” 

“Hmm.” Nick considers it for a second, thinks about having to take public transport to the studio, go on air for 3 hours, and deal with the hustle and bustle of general London life, and decides that Louis is probably right. “You’re probably right,”

Louis smiles and bats his eyelashes. “Of course I am.” He smacks a kiss on Nick’s cheek and takes both of their mugs, leading Nick towards the couch, “Come on, grumpy, I’ll look after you.”

“I’ll just text Fiona, let her know I’m not coming in, yeah?” Nick says from the threshold between the kitchen and the living room, leaning halfheartedly against the doorway. 

“Yeah.” Louis says softly. “Hurry up, love.”

Nick doesn’t hurry. Louis waits a whole ten minutes, cold and alone on the couch watching a rerun of Friends, until Nick comes trudging in holding a box of tissues in one hand, a packet of paracetamol in the other, with a blanket draped around his shoulders. 

Louis almost flies out of his seat. “What are you  _ doing _ ?” He almost yells, voice high pitched and riddled with disbelief. 

Nick looks confused. He doesn’t answer, either, just ignores Louis’outrage and plops down onto the sofa. Pig scuttles in after him and settles herself at his feet. 

“I’m supposed to be taking care of you.” 

Nick burrows down under his blanket and sighs. “I’m not dying, pet.”

“I know you’re not.” Louis rolls his eyes and sighs back, resuming his position on the sofa. He inches closer to Nick and hands him his tea. “Just let me do this.”

Nick doesn’t put up a fight for once, nor does he make a snarky comment about wanting to divorce Louis (even though they’re not married) or hide his Playstation controller. He nods and falls asleep watching Friends while Louis runs his fingers through his hair and forces him to sip his tea before it goes cold. 

He wakes up a few hours later, disoriented and without Louis by his side. He misses Louis whenever they’re apart, and sometimes when they’re not, just constantly wants to be with him emotionally and physically and it’s borderline obsessive how codependent they are, but Nick can’t help being completely infatuated with him. He wouldn’t have it any other way, really, even though he hides behind a mask of sarcasm and humour, forever bickering with Louis or being too stubborn for either of them to get anything done. Louis is the same, and yet they’re so different, and it’s the reason why they’re so good for each other.

Nick feels even more vulnerable when he’s sick. He wants Louis and no one else, and Louis isn’t here. 

Nick ambles around the flat, expecting to find Louis in the kitchen or their bedroom. He doesn’t, and it makes Nick bloom with sadness. It’s only when he realises that the dogs aren’t in the flat either that he realises Louis must have taken them out, and he settles comfortably back on the couch and waits impatiently for them to return. 

He must fall asleep again, because the next time he opens his eyes, his headache is gone and Louis is back and he feels like he could be alright. 

“I stopped at Tesco and got you some soup. If you’re hungry I can make it now?” Louis asks gently, and Nick’s first instinct is to reach across the couch and kiss him.

“I don’t know what I’d do without you.” He says, voice croaky and hoarse. Louis smiles anyway and kisses Nick back.

“You’d have to make your own soup.” 

Nick rolls his eyes. “You’re such a smart arse.” Louis smirks and shrugs, as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “I love you.”

Louis blushes and giggles into Nick’s shoulder. It’s ridiculously endearing and Nick never wants to be with anyone else, ever. “You’re alright, I suppose.”

Nick accepts that. 

Louis does make him the soup, brings him water and painkillers and blankets when he complains of being cold, and by the time Nick is better, he almost wishes he’ll get sick more often from now on, just to know that Louis will be there to nurse him back to health every time he does.


End file.
